'Romeo and Juliet': exploring gendered societal expectations
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Romeo and Juliet both subvert and conform to gendered societal expectations in 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Key learning points
- In Elizabethan England, violence and honour were arguably seen as integral to masculinity.
- We might see Romeo's killing of Tybalt as conforming to masculine expectations and leading to his downfall.
- In Elizabethan England, obedience was arguably seen as integral to femininity.
- By marrying Romeo, Juliet subverts the expectations of how a daughter should behave.
- However, we might see Juliet as conforming to societal expectations of how a wife should behave.
Keywords
Societal expectations - the beliefs and norms that a society holds about how individuals should behave and act
Conform - behave in line with socially acceptable conventions or standards
Subvert - behave or act in the opposite way to socially acceptable conventions or standards
Masculinity - a set of behaviours, qualities and roles associated with men and boys
Femininity - a set of behaviours, qualities and roles associated with women and girls
Common misconception
That characters either conform to or subvert stereotypes within texts.
We might see Romeo and Juliet as both conforming to and subverting societal expectations of gender at different moments in 'Romeo and Juliet' - characters are typically multifaceted rather than one note.
Teacher tip
It may be useful to recap the plot of 'Romeo and Juliet' before this lesson.
Equipment
You may wish to have a copy of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Put the events of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' in chronological order.
Q2.'A set of behaviours, qualities and roles associated with men and boys' is the definition of which word beginning with 'm'?
Q3.'A set of behaviours, qualities and roles associated with women and girls' is the definition of which word beginning with 'f'?
Q4.What behaviours or qualities do we stereotypically associate with masculinity?
Q5.'A system of society or government controlled by men' is the definition of which word beginning with 'p'?
Q6.Which of the following are expectations of women's behaviour in a patriarchal society?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Romeo's attempt to make peace with Tybalt in Act 3, Scene 1 is seen as which of the following?
Q2.'To behave in line with socially acceptable conventions or standards' is the definition of which word beginning with 'c'?
Q3.'To behave or act in the opposite way to socially acceptable conventions or standards' is the definition of which word beginning with 's'?
Q4.Complete Romeo's quotation from Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet': “Away to heaven, respective lenity, / And fire-eyed be my conduct now.”
Q5.'The beliefs and norms that a society holds about how individuals should behave and act' is the definition of societal .
Q6.In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Juliet is arguably __________ societal expectations of femininity by refusing to "speak ill" of Romeo.
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'Romeo and Juliet': exploring gendered societal expectations, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'Romeo and Juliet': exploring gendered societal expectations, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the Romeo and Juliet: the tragedy of societal expectations unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.